Mr Tragyal, 47, who was an employee of a state-run publisher, faces charges of 'splittism'. The book, published in March, is a poetic, painstakingly written indictment of Chinese rule and a call for a 'peaceful revolution' against what Tragyal describes as Beijing's heavy-handed governing style.
The public security bureau in the western province of Qinghai (Chinese name; Tibetan name Tso Ngon in Amdo province) needed a full month to translate his Tibetan prose into Chinese. Officers searched his home, carted away computers, handwritten notes and copies of the book,whilst Tragyal stood by silently.
"He was perfectly serene in front of the policemen, and this somehow calmed my fears," his wife wrote in an e-mail.
"I am naturally terrified at the thought that once this essay has been made public, I will eventually have to endure the hot hells and cold hells on earth," the New York Times quoted him as saying. "I may lose my head because of my mouth, but this is the path I have chosen, so the responsibility is mine."